Kehitysvajeiden

Kehitysvajeiden is a Finnish genitive form of kehitysvaje, a term historically used to refer to developmental disability. In common usage it denotes a set of conditions characterized by significant challenges in intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior that originate during development. The phrase is typically used in possessive or associative constructions, for example “kehitysvajeiden oikeudet” (the rights of people with developmental disabilities) or “kehitysvajeiden tukeminen” (support for people with developmental disabilities). The scope of kehitysvajeen käsitys overlaps with what is today more commonly described as kehitysvamma or kehitysvammainen, depending on context.

Terminology and contemporary usage have evolved over time. Today, the standard Finnish term for the disability is usually kehitysvamma, and kehitysvammainen is used to refer to a person who has the disability. The term kehitysvaje is increasingly regarded as outdated or stigmatizing in many contexts. Language guidelines and disability-rights discourse in Finnish encourage person-first language, such as “henkilö, jolla on kehitysvamma,” rather than labeling the person by the condition. Nonetheless, kehitysvajeiden continues to appear in historical texts, linguistic discussions, and some legal or administrative phrases that deal with rights, services, or statistics related to people with developmental disabilities.

Related concepts include kehitysvammaisuus and the broader discussions around intellectual disability in Finnish policy, health care, and education.